Broadcasting European elections

Television presentation of the 1984 European parliamentary elections is described and compared with equivalent features of the broadcast campaigns of 1979. Arrangements for party broadcasting were broadly similar almost everywhere. But news value judgements were applied more strictly to news bulletin and current affairs provision, typically resulting in reduced attention. Domestic appeals played a greater part in many parties' campaigns this time (in contrast to arguments over European issues). And impressions of weak audience interest were often a focus of comment. The problems of mounting a more satisfying European campaign in the future may depend, however, not on exhorting journalists and politicians to do better, but on a strengthening of the European Parliament in the power structure of the European Community.     

Risk Factors for Male Sexual Aggression on College Campuses

Risk factors for college male sexual aggression that were both theoretically and empirically based were tested using multivariate regression analyses. These included substance abuse patterns, pornography consumption, negative gender-based attitudes, and child sexual abuse experiences. Regression analyses indicated that some gender attitudes, pornography use, and alcohol abuse were significant predictors of perpetration of sexual violence. Although a number of men were sexually abused as children, this risk factor did not predict sexual aggression as an adult. Many men reported alcohol-related sexual coercion and held many rape-supportive attitudes and beliefs. These practices by college men contribute to the prorape cultures found on many campuses. Strategies are needed to identify and intervene with high-risk men to prevent sexual victimization of women in college.     

Book reviews

This paper considers the effect of rent-seeking on the welfare implications of price discrimination by a monopolist. It is shown that even when rent-seeking fully dissipates monopoly profits, it is possible for price discrimination to raise social welfare. Thus, the recognition that monopoly profits attract resource using, socially wasteful activities, does not necessarily negate price discrimination as a defence of monopoly.     

The Human Dimensions of Pollution Policy Implementation: Air quality in rural China

The People's Republic of China is experiencing severe air pollution with very serious public health and economic consequences. Over the past decade, the Chinese government has sought to utilize bureaucratic, political, legal and educational vehicles to address these problems. This paper examines the ways in which those policy measures have been communicated to, understood by, and acted upon by the citizenry, drawing in important part on household and epidemiological surveys conducted in Anhui. Our study suggests that the central government's message has yet to be absorbed to the degree intended and then considers both why this has been the case and how the effectiveness of policy mechanisms might be enhanced.